Ato Handroll Bar took over the old Chicken University spot in Fullerton. The plaza is a little sketch, but don't let that scare you off because the food is anything but. What I immediately noticed was the fish. A lot of handroll places chop or mash the fish until you barely know what you're eating. Ato gives you actual big chunks of fish, and I much prefer it this way. The uni handroll is definitely pricey, BUT they are not stingy with the uni. At all. They pile it on. If you know how much good uni costs, you'll understand. IYKYK. The blue crab handroll was probably my favorite, with the eel right up there with it. Both were so good. Everything else we tried was good too, so I don't want to make it sound like those were the only ones worth ordering. Those two just stood out for me. Really happy we gave this place a try. Between the quality of the fish and how generous they are with the portions, Ato is going into the regular rotation. read more

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TLDR: I've been a couple of times and they have all been good. I recommend this spot if you have a little extra money and want to eat good sushi. When you walk in, you'll be greeted by the hostess. She will seat you at the bar (I've only sat at the bar) and asked if this is your first time. If it is, she will explain how to order. At your seat, there'll be a menu, a paper slip, napkin, and a hand towel wrapped in a plastic bag, and a plate. There'll be a bottle of soy sauce somewhere in front of you. From memory, I don't remember if it was 3, 5, and 6 hand rolls. I did the 5 handrolls for $27 dollars, plus a green tea, plus a chirashi bowl, and a salmon wrap appetizer. Each handroll I got was crafted well. The sushi rice was well seasoned and the ingredients used were fresh as far as I can tell. The chef will wrap your roll depending on your speed and other customer's pacing. Typically, a pretty decent pace if there are a few other guests dining with you. I want to talk more about the Chirashi Bowl and how it is presented. The chirashi bowl comes with thick pieces of sashimi, a perilla leaf, a slice of lemon, pickled radish, and masago all laid out on a bed of vinegared rice. The portions were right for me as I was able to finish both the fish and the rice at the same time. The salmon wrap was a piece of salmon wrapped around a imitation crab mix, minced tuna, and a green. It's laid out in a circle wit six pieces. There's a citrusy sauce that covers a bit of the salmon wraps and the plate. When you bite into the salmon wrap, it sort of unleashes all the ingredients together into a umami-like taste. The service was outstanding, the hostess was attentive to each guests' needs with refills on drinks or extra orders. The chef's calm demeanor adds a layer to the minimalistic vibe the restaurant offers. In general, it's a nice place to dine alone if you don't mind sitting next to strangers or with a group of friends talking about life. read more

Ato Hand Roll Bar - The chef that was serving that day - Japanese Near Me - Fullerton, California

Have to give this place a solid 4.5/5 stars! My husband and I stopped here on our way back from MicroCenter on a Sunday afternoon. The location was not packed at all and we were immediately seated. The service was great, our waitress immediately brought us drinks and asked if we were ready to order. I ordered the 6 for $30 handrolls for my husband and I as well as the crispy tuna rice. Honestly this place is almost a 5 star location for me but i did feel like the handrolls were missing something? Maybe a sauce or something or that sort. The flavor and portions were good as well as freshness. The chefs make them as you're saying them so they're setting there long. I did see they also offer yakitori so i have to come back for that. The handrolls also come with a miso soup which is very nice. Overall solid handroll spot for the price! I would def come back with some friends. read more

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Came here for lunch and they have a great lunch happy hour offering that's generous. Ordered the 4 hand roll set and it was delicious. Fish were fresh and so filling. Ordered some sides of the pork belly yakitori and it was juicy and well seasoned. This is only bar top seating so may not be good for groups but highly recommend this handroll bar!! read more

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Nth time back. Hand rolls are consistently good. Fav is kanpachi handroll - shiso flavor is nice touch. Scallop hand rolls are really great. Usually not a fan of small scallops but their flavors so umami and fresh. Highly recommend ama ebi sushi. Their deep fried shrimp heads are so crispy and yummy. Suntory malt lacks their signature foam when they pour it :( read more

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I came here on unexpectedly. Lunch special is awesome. I got the Nigiri special for $25 Highly recommend for a very good sushi lunch without the cost. Also includes salad and soup. read more

Ato Hand Roll Bar - Lunch special $25 - Japanese Near Me - Fullerton, California

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First time we were here, they got us seated and took our orders quickly. We got the 4 hand rolls with a negitoro roll, and the ikageso. It came with miso soup. The hand rolls came out quickly and with a good pace. The place wasn't too busy and had a nice ambience. It's bar seating with a seat or two that's lower. Would go here again. read more

Ato Hand Roll Bar - Japanese Near Me - Fullerton, California

Super underrated and tasty hand roll place. Has arguably better food than ROL handroll bar but with amazing service. In a quiet plaza, this place stuck out on my Yelp page and thought to give it a try. The fish so fresh and tasty, perfect condiments to bring each piece to its max potential. Unagi with teriyaki(?) sauce Yellowtail with Yuzu Kosho Halibut with 초장 (cho gochujang) Only has bar seats but definitely a vibe for after work, a date, or just a place to unwind and have a glass of beer with some good sushi/hand rolls. Give this place a try! read more

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Fresh and delicious! Staff was great! We went in on a weeknight right before dinner rush so there was plenty of seating! read more

First time visit to a local diner that's quietly becoming talk of town among friends Overall ambience and service was great - small sushi bar that seems to be all bar seating with warm and friendly service by staff. Happy hour handroll set was mostly great - while I loved all 3 fish variety, I didn't love the blue crab so much. Normally a huge crab fan but the handroll concoction just didn't do it for me. The two Izakaya type apps at $4 a set were amazing value. 3 sticks of pork belly and 2 sticks of chicken skewer seems severely underpriced but likely never get complaints for the price points. While I loved the pork, I thought both chicken skewers were a bit rare for my taste. Overall a great experience and as I loved majority of items tried today, I'm looking forward to another visit soon to try other items on the menu! read more

I'm honestly not ashamed to say that I've been here 4 times in the last week. Came for lunch and midday meals and it's not usually busy. The service is fantastic! We truly enjoy chatting with Rodolfo and he's an amazing sushi chef! Cannot recommend Ato enough! read more

Ato Hand Roll Bar - Oysters! - Japanese Near Me - Fullerton, California

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I'm really shocked this place has such good reviews. I got uni, yellowtail, sea bream, halibut, and seared salmon nigiri (2pc ea. sushi). All that was about almost $50. Oh my god.. the halibut was inedible it was fibrous where you literally can't bite into it or chew it. None of the fish tasted fresh, but the biggest let down was actually yellowtail, it was soooo fishy like it just came out the ocean lol. I genuinely feel funky with the taste in my mouth. The only "decent" cut was sea bream, and that's pushing it because all the other fish was so bad. After forcing myself to eat it I ended it throwing away half of it read more

Ato Hand Roll Bar - Bad fish - Japanese Near Me - Fullerton, California

Stopped by ATO Handroll Bar on our drive back to Vegas from California and honestly... such a hidden gem. We came in about an hour before closing and still had a great experience. Rodolfo was our sushi chef and not only were the handrolls very good, but the whole place was super clean and had a really calm vibe. We ended up having such a great conversation with him too--it made everything feel even more special. Left feeling super relaxed and satisfied. Definitely worth the stop! read more

Ato Hand Roll Bar - Japanese Near Me - Fullerton, California

Very good first experience here! The happy hour menu is very affordable and a great way to try a few different things. We went with the handroll sets today and everything was really good. My favorite was the blue crab handroll by far. Service was friendly and it's great seeing the rolls made in front of you. Inside was super clean and well decorated. read more

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The food quality is delicious and beautifully presented! Never had a hand roll in this long cigar like shape. Love the yuzu flavored sauce. The staff is very friendly. Clean, cute bathrooms. I came back a second week in a roll just to dine solo read more

Ato Hand Roll Bar - Chirashi bowl - Japanese Near Me - Fullerton, California

I LOVED this spot! I went a perfect time slightly after the usual lunch rush so it was empty and service was very quick! I was seated right away and hand rolls were made immediately after I placed my order. The hostess was actually one of the nicest people i've interacted with in a while so it was fun to just laugh and eat while chatting with the workers. It's a chic place too, definitely giving modern sushi bar vibes and I honestly liked it! It was clean looking, beyond the fact that it was literally spotless inside lol. Highly recommend this place! -Cucumber Hand roll: refreshing and tasty Definitely fresh too! 5/5 - famous scallop roll: soooo good wow I just wish it had a little more filling in it. again really fresh 4/5 - salmon: sooooo fresh and soft inside the roll I really liked this one, the freshness made it even better 5/5 - unagi roll: MY FAV! so tasty and slightly warm, i highly recommend trying one of those 5/5 read more

I came here for lunch and was so impressed. The quality of the fish is really good. I ordered the 4 piece handroll set (not happy hour) and it was only $22. My favorite was the unagi! The location is kind of tucked away in a small plaza, but the ambiance is really nice, staff is attentive, food is good, and the prices are very good. I definitely need to come back to enjoy the happy hour specials! read more

Ato Hand Roll Bar - Japanese Near Me - Fullerton, California

Food was amazing for the price, service was neat, and the interior really gives the "bar" vibe. Would recommend to anyone who loves sushi or handrolls for an amazingly nice price range. read more

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This is the second time my daughter and I have been here in two weeks, and we came away even more satisfied than the first time. Our sushi chef Rudolfo was incredible, so friendly and personable, and remembered us when we walked in the door. The rolls are the best we've ever had, the fish is so fresh and the atmosphere so enjoyable. I'm already thinking of the next time we come back! read more

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1. The hand rolls were well-crafted! I really like the quality of the fish cuts! 2. The spot has chill casual vibes! The interior is cozy! 3. There is only indoor seatings! They only have counter seating! 4. The staff was friendly and timely with our order! The miso soup came out first, and then they bring out the hand rolls one by one! 5. Parking lot is small! Spots are single-lined and not compact! Note: There is a restroom available for customers! Photo: Miso Soup, Salmon Hand Roll, Crunch Hand Roll, Yellowtail Hand Roll, and Spicy Albacore Hand Roll read more

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I absolutely loved the hand rolls here! I tried the 4-hand roll set with halibut, bluefin tuna, salmon, and scallop, everything was incredibly fresh and delicious. I'll definitely be back to work my way through the rest of the menu. The service was attentive and thorough, and the ambiance is great. It's an intimate spot with just a few bar seats, which I really liked. They also have restrooms available and provide a nice cloth to wipe your hands at the end of the meal! read more

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Hand rolls were spot on! Nice and cozy spot with great service. Definitely coming back.

We went for our first time on a Friday night at 8:30pm. Bar seating only, and it looks like it's first come first serve. While there were a few parties seated, there was still availability for our party of 2. If anything, you'll experience a short wait as service is fast. We both went with five hand rolls which comes with miso soup. You can select which handroll you'd like with a paper menu provided. Each handroll we've had was delicious! You can't go wrong with the yellowtail and the spicy albacore handroll! read more

Ato Hand Roll Bar - One of the five hand rolls selected: yellowtail - Japanese Near Me - Fullerton, California

Came for Happy Hour, 10/10. Loved the cold beer & HH hand rolls. Otoro and Blue Fin with the yuzu sauce won us over. Hidden gem! read more

This is probably the best place to get a chirashi bowl in Fullerton! Their fish fresh, the sushi rice is made to perfection, and it has kizami wasabi. Service is always great as well! read more

My sister and I had a fantastic dinner here a while back, and I forgot to do a review. The service was wonderful and the food was great. My personal favorites were the classic salmon handroll and the eel. The yuzu sauce was some of the best ive had. The sake bottles were adorable. Ambiance was busy, as this is a tiny bar. My sister loves mocktails, and they had a great selection. Id love to come back again. read more

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Let me just say that this place was my 1st meal after I gave birth and since then we've dined in and did take out. This place is underrated and located in a random plaza so I can understand the low foot traffic. Service is good, ambiance is pretty intimate because it's like bar seating. Happy hour menu is legit because there are $4 appetizers and preset 4 handrolls for $20. My go-to are the bluefin tuna, scallops and blue crab hand rolls. I love that all their seafood is fresh and made to order. They are on door dash too so if you live far away like me, you can order for delivery. 10/10 recommend! read more

Stopped by this hand roll spot on a Wednesday around dinner time for an anniversary and was really impressed. The place is clean and isn't as bright - it's a vibe! We got the 6-hand roll set, and I love that you can choose your own rolls instead of getting a fixed selection. It's a nice personal touch. My favorite is the blue crab and the truffle salmon!! The servers were incredibly friendly and took the time to walk us through the menu, which made the experience even better. They actually told us that they recently switched their seaweed wrappers. I'm not sure what they used before, but the new ones are amazing -- super crispy, not soggy at all, and really add to the overall quality. Definitely noticed a difference compared to other spots!! Definitely planning to come back soon! read more

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We took our grandmother here for her early mother day, and she loved it!! The bluefin tuna hand roll had the perfect flavor and the spicy tuna hand roll was spicy with hints of sweetness, and was delicious and perfect. Also, the salmon hand roll had perfect texture that paired well with the rice. The service was excellent, the person being lively and friendly, although making the food a bit slowly. The restaurant has rather tiny seats, so I don't recommend it for big parties. The music and lighting is great together, creating a relaxing and welcome ambience. Overall, I give it a 4/5, due to the lack of good seating, but great food and service. read more

I had take out here and I'm still obsessing over how fresh and tasty the hand rolls are. I loved how the seaweed paper was wrapped with a thin plastic layer to keep it from going soggy. Can't wait to dine in and try different hand rolls! read more

I saw the reviews and was excited to come here for lunch. While it was not the closest to where I was, the food looked really amazing. I drove over, noticed that the sign in the window says that they are only doing takeout and not dine in. That is a bummer since everybody knows a hand roll is the best eaten right after ordering. I figured what the heck, I'd give it a shot. I went inside, stood at the front reception area for about five minutes and nobody came out. They even have a little bell on the door that rings that people know I was there. I gave up and left. Now I've got to figure out something else to eat. read more

Ato Hand Roll Bar - Booo. Closed for dining in - Japanese Near Me - Fullerton, California

Affordable and delicious hand roll spot - sign me up! Came here on a whim after seeing it on IG. We went around 8-9pm on a Friday night and it was not busy (will probably change if more people know about this place!!). It's only bar seating, so service was very fast. Our chef that made the hand rolls was definitely passionate about his job because after the meal, he asked us what our favorite roll was and had a very nice conversation. My favorite hand roll was the tempura and spicy tuna combo. For a set of 6 hand rolls, it was about $30? A total steal. I also got an appetizer to share - that was a little disappointing because I got the crispy rice and was expecting the usual crispy rice base, but they make it with a tempura roll instead. Nonetheless I left this restaurant extremely satisfied. Will recommend this place and come back!! read more

Ato Hand Roll Bar - Spicy Tuna on Crispy Rice - Japanese Near Me - Fullerton, California

Solid hand roll place in BP. They have a 4,5 and 6 hand roll special. Their sashimi deluxe plate is good! You get salmon belly, toro and uni. Tons of parking and bar seating. read more

Ato Hand Roll Bar - Blue Crab Hand - Japanese Near Me - Fullerton, California

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This place is a little gem! Came here randomly on a Friday night looking for a handroll bar closer to home and Ato popped up on our Yelp. They have at menus you can order from or you can order them individually. I got the truffle salmon, Orangethorpe, magnolia and regular salmon. My fav was the truffle salmon and the Orangethorpe which has tuna, salmon and avocado. Great dining experience and good food. read more

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~ Great Scallop Hand Roll! ~ This place can be compared to Kazu Nori! I am a slow eater so their service is a little too fast for me ~ when I am still eating my roll another one comes haha The inside has a u shape table where the chef places down your order in front of you. read more

Really impressed by the taste, portion sizes, and variety of this new hand roll spot! I met Jun, who is the manager, and he personally made the hand rolls for me and my wife. He was super friendly and even suggested the best selling hand they have: truffle salmon, blue crab, and special tuna. Special Tuna - classic tuna roll, can't go wrong Salmon - also a classic but actually fattier than I thought it'd be, which is a plus Jalapeño Yellowtail - no seeds in the jalapeño so it's more just the flavor with the yellowtail which actually complemented it well Blue Crab - my favorite roll, good balance of creamy and savory without being too overpowered with mayo Hokkaido Scallop - didn't expect the peppery kick, a little different than what I'm used to but not bad Eel - thick piece of unagi in there, could've used a bit more sauce but still great Truffle Salmon - also one of my favorites since the extra umami from the truffle really makes the fatty fish more indulging Mix Tempura - light and airy batter and good variety of veggies, the ebi had a thicker batter than the rest which I actually liked the least Service could've been faster but I get that it's still a relatively new restaurant and they're still working out the kinks. If you don't mind some wait and want great tasting and filling hand rolls, this is your spot and I'll most def be back! read more

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Came here for a quick date night with my husband. We ended up showing up right at opening and there was a huge group waiting to be seated. We got seated pretty quickly and placed an order for tempura, 2 sets of 6, and 2 extra truffle salmon rolls. The rolls came out inconsistently for my husband and me. We would eat as soon as the rolls came out to prevent them from getting soggy, even though we usually like to take our first bites together. We had inconsistent wait times between the rolls and I was also anticipating my tempura. It finally came out after we finished roll #4. The sweet potato and zucchini tempura had a perfect texture of chewiness and crispiness! We loved them! I also appreciated that the server told us the different tempuras instead of having us play a guessing game. The fish cake tempuras were really fun to eat, but the shrimp tempura was a bit too crispy. It felt like it was cutting up the roof of my mouth with every bite! Then between the tempura and the next roll, we waited several minutes. It felt kinda awkward just waiting for a roll since I knew the chef was busy with other customers. I feel like there has to be a way to make it more seamless but I understand the pressure! All of the rolls were good and the portions were so generous. I was definitely full when leaving after eating 7 rolls whereas other places have me leave "content" at 7 rolls. The ato tuna, salmon, and yellowtail rolls were pretty tasty and filling. The crab, eel, and salmon truffle rolls definitely stole the show - super tasty, creamy, and generous portion sizes. The only roll I didn't prefer was the scallop roll. I'm not a fan of pepper, and I felt like it was a peppered scallop roll. It left a burn even after some ginger and water. I'd probably ask to swap out the roll in the set next time! Overall, great experience. Everything tasted amazing! Shoutout to Jun for engaging in conversation with us to see if we were enjoying our food. I'd love to return in the future! I hope this place does well. I know they still have some kinks to work out, but the simplicity of the menu, portion sizes, and friendly staff can really make a big difference in the long run! read more

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My husband and I were wanting a hand roll place one rainy Saturday, and I'm glad we made the "trip" from Aliso to here, because it was AMAZING. In an unsuspecting little lot in Fullerton, you have this hidden gem of a place that will leave you beyond satisfied and wanting to come back for more. I want to mention they have not only Sapporo on draft, but Orion also - love that. Their menu is simple and perfect. If you're not picky and like everything like us - try it all. It's all so fresh and so much mouth pleasure. It's a new spot, but the pictures and how it's represented doesn't disappoint at all. Insane of repeating the same mundane things - I'll just tell you all the hand rolls we had, all were incredibly fresh and so satisfying. Salmon, Hokkaido scallop (omg) Yellowtail, Bluecrab (omg) Bluefin, Eel, Crunch, and spicy tuna with tempura. Real wasabi is available upon request. The owner is a very nice young man, and served us personally. How lucky we were to be trying his creations, we were the only ones there at lunch time. We wish him and the restaurant the best of success! This place is amazing and we will definitely be back. read more

Came here for dinner on a Monday night with my bf because we found the place on IG and decided to try it out. The restaurant had 2 customers and it wasn't busy which means our food will come out faster. They have a 5 handroll special going on where you can mix and match any of the handrolls they offer and includes miso soup, edamame and yuzu sauce. I ordered the : Special Tuna Truffle Salmon Orangethorpe Onion Albacore Blue Crab Spicy tunas with crispy chip- to share They were all really fresh and tasty. If I had to picked a favorite, it would be the blue crab. It was creamy but also not overpowering with the mayo. The fish to rice ratio was on point to where there were more fish than rice. Also don't forgot to dip the handrolls in the yuzu sauce, it's a bit spicy but citrusy because of the yuzu. Since the restaurant wasn't busy, the attention was on us and service was friend & quick. I would come back if I am in the area and craving handrolls. read more

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Small dining room with bar tops only, quiet and quick experience. Simple menu with set or a al carte hand rolls, skewers, and appetizers. Super crispy seaweed much appreciated. + Salmon hand roll ($5): great first bite, simple and fresh (8.8/10) + Hokkaido Scallop hand roll ($5): slightly creamy, very fresh (9/10) + Magnolia hand roll ($6): unique switch up of textures, spicy tuna w 2 hot shrimp tempura (8.5/10) + Kizami Wasabi ($2): perfect amount of fresh wasabi, loved that this was offered (10/10) + Negima skewer ($9): thigh w leek, steaming hot, tender thigh w a subtle savory sweet glaze (8/10) Good pace, a hand roll at a time! Skewer took the longest but was great read more

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